The Portland daily press., 1887-02-18

1
over for minute. You know we half prom
| ised to show him the way to Fairy Glen this
afternoon. l don't feel inclined for any more
walking myself; but there is no reason why
| YOU shouldn't accompany him, iflyou are not
| tired. and he is agreeable to the arrangement.
Maude's note quickly brought Mr.. Browne
and the lovers were soon on their way to
| Fairy Glen.
'My darling, we are in luck's way!' ex-
| claimed Jack. Your uncle'S absence will
make matters as simple as an A b G guide.
/ shall have tomorrow to make the necessary
arrangements. We can be married the fol-
| lowing morning, and by the time your uncle
returns in the evening we shall be miles
away from here"
Maude acquiesced rather reluctantly. She
loved Jack dearly: but still she had some
conjunction about deceiying her uncle, who,
with the exception of the unaccountable OBJ
stinacy he had shown toward her lover, had
always been ready to humor her. Jack,
however, drew such glowing picture of the
happiness in store for them and declared
with so much confidence that Mai. Hender-
i sens anger '"""ld not last more than three
weeks when once the lIle, tcshle step was
taken, that Maude was much c0mforted.
When they returned Maj. Henderson
pressed Mr.. Browne to spend the evening
at Honeysuckle Cottage. Tea being over,
the Major asked Maude if she would mind
| packing his portmanteau for him.
Il have laid out the things l wish to take,
my dear. You will fit them in more neatly
| than / could"
Maude was delighted to have an opportu-
nifty of doing last kindly act
Directly she had left the room, the Major
began fidgeting about, and at length got up
and paced the room. Suddenly turning to
| Mr.. Brown, he said: Comparative stranger
as you are to me, | feel as if l must tell you
the nature of the business which is calling
me to London so Unexpectedly. The blow
has fallen so suddenly that to speak of it
would be an immense relief"
The stranger was all sympathetic atten-
ton in a moment.
"Mr. Browne" continued the Major, ex-
citedly, this time yesterday l believed that
poor girl up stairs to be the mistress of a
fairly large fortune. Today-if the informa-
tion l received this morning is cOrrect-I
know her to be penniless. And that is not
all; the greater part, if not the whole, of my
income is lost Also"
So sympathetic was Mr.. Browne that he
begged to know all the details. These, how :
| ever, the Major was unable to furnish, in
fact he could explain nothing satisfactorily,
| SO great was the state of excitement into
which he had worked himself.
"Hushv he said, as he heard Maude ap-
preaching. mot word to her. Wouldn't
| disturb her peace of mind for worlds, poor
girl, until l am certain how the matter
stands"
The next day, about an hour after her I'M
| Gle had left for London, Maude received the
| following penciled note from Mr.. Browne:
MY OWN DARLING: 1 am the most unlucky
dog that ever lived! Ipassed wretched night,
| and this morning am too i'll TO leave my bed To
| be disabled today. when was to have arranged
for the event which IS TO make me the happiest
man in England! | have sent for the village
"bones," and If he can but patch me up it may not
yet be too late, Send book back by bearer, to
account tor having received letter from yonr
nearly irahtc JACK.
Poor Maude! The torturing suspense of
that day In the evening she ventured to
ask the landlady to inquire how Mr.. Browne
was mo BETTER was the alarming reply
Mande passed sleepless night In the
morning she received second note from her
dear Jack, even more despairings in its tone
than the former one. Fate is against u.s."
he wrote; Il feel as if l shall never be able
to call you mine"
In the middle of the day she again sent to
inquire after her lover; and was overioyed to
hear he was much better, and was even
thinking of getting up, his recovery bidding
fair to be as sudden as his seizure
That evening Maj. Henderson returned.
Hardly had he knocked at the door, when
Mr.. Brown emerged from the opposite cot
tage;
Mr.. Browne.
'The worst possible" replied the Major,
throwing. himself into an easy chair and
covering his face with his hands. "That poor
girl ,yopder is beggar, and have but hun
bred year left
Maude looked from one to the other in
utter bewilderment, and then crossed over
TO her uncle, trying TO comfort him and gain
some explanation at the same time
II feel this is no scene for stranger to
witness" said Mr.. Browne. ''Sir, you have
my deepest sympathy, and | am sure that
at the present moment can show it in no
| better way than by withdrawing"
Maude followed her lover to the door She
was much distressed on her uncle's account,
but did not fully realize her own loss of for
tune.
Are you really better, dear Jack? ?" she
asked aDXi0uSly.
YES thank you. Quite cured. Good-by,"
and he was gone
That her lovers leave taking was a little
abrupt did strike Maude she was, however,
far too confused by the turn affairs had tax
en- TO attach much Importance to the first
circumstance.
When she returned to her uncle he seemed
wonderfully better, and at supper he talked
quite cheerfully of their future.
Maude passed another sleepless night. She
did not so much mind the terrible loss she
had sustained on her own account; but she
was bitterly disappointed that she could not
do all she had promised for her dear
Jack. She determined. however, to be the
| most loving and economical wife possible.
| at all events her uncle wonld not be able ac-
cuse Jack of being mercenary now and there
was much comfort in that reflection. Per-
haps after all they would be able to have
| proper wedding, only of course it would
| have to be very quiet one. How much
nicer that would be than running away and
deceivlng her uncle, who had always been
| so kind to her.
When she came down to breakfast the next
morning she was looking pale and little
worn after her two sleepless nights, Tho
| Major, however, seemed to have succeeded
in throwing off his grief in quite a wonder
tui manner, and was in almost his usual
spirits.
"Have you heard how Mr.. Browne is this
n1nrpiuu p' Man6a 20 IL Al,o 10,
lady's daughter.
why Miss, he paid up for the week and
went off by the mail train last night, declar-
ing he was sure the place didn't suit him."
Poor Maude! The blow did indeed fall on
her with crushing force.
Dear me, rather sudden! We shall miss
the old gentleman-eh? Miss Maude?" said
the Major, as the uncle and niece were left
together. He laid a slight stress ON the adj
jectlye, and there was suspicion of fun in
MS eyes. 1t was, however, no laughing
matter to Maude; she, poor girl, unable long
er to act her part, burst into an uncOntroll-
able fit of weeping
Poor child said the Major, com
| passlonately; Its sharp lesson for you to
learn. But it is better for you to bear little
pain now than to suffer for the remainder of
your life, as would most probably have been
your fate If l had not paid that scoundrel
out in his own CON-"
Fhe threatened loss of fortune was all a
| fabrication, Major Henderson having gone
no nearer to London than the top room in
| Honeysuckle Cottage.
The truth was, the Major had discovered
| what was going on when he had come upon
the lovers so unexpectedly. He then devised
| the scheme, which he afterwards carried out
| so successfully, in order to test the sincerl-
ity of Lieut.. Mapleson's attachment to
| Maude Maj Henderson had, of course.
been obliged to take the landlady into his
| confidence, and she, fully entering into the
| spirit of the thing, had suggested the Ma
| lor's occupying the top room in her cottage
| whence he could watch Mr.. Brownies move
meuts. And 50 Maj. Henderson had merely
| walked to the station, portmanteau in hand,
| and, returning, had entered Honeysuckle
| Cottage by the back way.
Maude's grief ana humiliation were so real
when she heard these details that her uncle
| thinking she would not care to remain where
her story was known, wisely suggested re-
turning home the following day.
| Owe can give a garden party or something
| of that kind in honor of your 21st birthday.
| 1t will be few days after the event. but that
| won't matter. ! would give good deal to
| see that young fortune hunters face when
| he finds out how he has been duped. There
| is no fear of his tittle-tatting about it.
though, for his own sake, so the story won't
get all over the town, | suppose, my dear"
| added Maj Henderson, rather anxiously.
| you'll never let him again find the way TO